Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man

Like the previous anthology of Fujimoto's short works, this provides an interesting look at his progression over time and some interesting insights into his motivations.

But more than that, these shorts are all incredible. Maybe Wake-up-as-a-Girl Syndrome is a little weaker, but I still enjoyed it a lot. Regardless, I think Mermaid Rhapsody, Nayuta of the Prophecy, and Sisters are all among the best short manga I've ever read. 

It's often strange to read someone's debut work and see a perfect specimen winning awards, and it can be demoralizing to see the heights you need to reach for as a new writer. If these volumes have done anything for me, they've showed me how long the process of improvement is, how even an unrefined work can be great, and how worthwhile the journey is. Literature really is great.

When you read the author's blurb in a book, it's often pretty minor. Thanks for reading this, dedicated to x, this was hard, etc.

I enjoyed this collection, even though the first story had some glaring issues. But when I read Fujimoto's blurb at the end it sort of recontextualized the whole thing for me, and even did so for how I see his whole body of work. A short glimpse into his life and it all somehow shifts.

Literature really is wonderful.